How to get more antioxidant foods into your diet

Antioxidant foods are great for many things such as anti-aging, disease prevention, healthy skin, immunity support, and many more.

So, what are some ways to get more antioxidant foods into your diet?

Drink a smoothie every day. If you have never had a mixed berry smoothie you are missing out. Simply buy a bag of mixed frozen berries from your local grocer and dump some into a blender. Add some fresh greens, a scoop of protein powder, and some water or non-dairy milk and you have yourself a powerful antioxidant “green smoothie.” Green because you tossed in a hand full of fresh dark leafy greens! And by the way, dark leafy greens are also high in antioxidants.

Nuts are also a great antioxidant food. Keep a container of them next to your desk for mid-day snacks. You can either snack on things like almonds, cashews, or walnuts, or mixed them together with a bit of oil and sea salt and you have yourself some trail mix. The nuts are also a great source of protein and healthy fats, and walnuts are high in omega-3 (great for fighting inflammation).

Beans, beans beans….the more you eat, the more you… well, you know. If you happen to live in Austin, the breakfast taco capital of the world, make sure you add some beans to your taco. They are a legume and recognized as a valuable protein by USDA MyPlate.

Green Tea. With one sip of tea, you get two potent phytochemicals -- anthocyanin and pro anthocyanin (WebMd). Both help to fight inflammation. Just make sure your green tea comes from Japan… Chinese green tea is known for containing heavy metals such as lead.

Switch your standard potatoes with sweet potatoes. These colorful tuber plants are a great source of vitamins C and B6, fiber, and potassium. Move over russet potatoes there is a new french fry in town. Sweet potato fries have gained such popularity they are now a staple on many restaurant menus.